US11069841B2 - Multilayer ceramic converter with stratified scattering - Google Patents

Multilayer ceramic converter with stratified scattering Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US11069841B2
US11069841B2 US16/406,950 US201916406950A US11069841B2 US 11069841 B2 US11069841 B2 US 11069841B2 US 201916406950 A US201916406950 A US 201916406950A US 11069841 B2 US11069841 B2 US 11069841B2
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
barrier layer
layer
phosphor
lower barrier
upper barrier
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
US16/406,950
Other versions
US20200357959A1 (en
Inventor
Thomas Dreeben
Zhengbo Yu
Alan Lenef
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ams Osram International GmbH
Original Assignee
Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH filed Critical Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
Priority to US16/406,950 priority Critical patent/US11069841B2/en
Assigned to OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS GMBH reassignment OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS GMBH ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: DREEBEN, THOMAS, LENEF, ALAN, YU, Zhengbo
Priority to PCT/EP2020/062426 priority patent/WO2020225250A1/en
Priority to DE112020002257.9T priority patent/DE112020002257T5/en
Publication of US20200357959A1 publication Critical patent/US20200357959A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US11069841B2 publication Critical patent/US11069841B2/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L33/00—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L33/48—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor body packages
    • H01L33/50—Wavelength conversion elements
    • H01L33/501—Wavelength conversion elements characterised by the materials, e.g. binder
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L33/00—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L33/48—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor body packages
    • H01L33/50—Wavelength conversion elements
    • H01L33/505—Wavelength conversion elements characterised by the shape, e.g. plate or foil
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L33/00—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L33/48—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor body packages
    • H01L33/50—Wavelength conversion elements
    • H01L33/501—Wavelength conversion elements characterised by the materials, e.g. binder
    • H01L33/502—Wavelength conversion materials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L2933/00—Details relating to devices covered by the group H01L33/00 but not provided for in its subgroups
    • H01L2933/0008—Processes
    • H01L2933/0033—Processes relating to semiconductor body packages
    • H01L2933/0041—Processes relating to semiconductor body packages relating to wavelength conversion elements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L2933/00—Details relating to devices covered by the group H01L33/00 but not provided for in its subgroups
    • H01L2933/0091—Scattering means in or on the semiconductor body or semiconductor body package

Definitions

  • This invention relates to ceramic wavelength converter assemblies, light emitting devices comprising ceramic wavelength converter assemblies and methods for producing ceramic wavelength converter assemblies.
  • LED light emitting diode
  • a yellow oxide converter such as YAG:Ce(Gd) phosphor/ceramics for the compromise of cost, efficiency and CRI (color rendering index).
  • ceramic converters often used are YAG:Ce(Gd) ceramics for high internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and high lumens.
  • YAG:Ce(Gd) ceramic converters currently used are normally doped with Gd (from 1 to 20 at. %) for color steering. Its cubic crystal structure and high diffusion coefficient impart easier densification at reasonable temperatures and provide the advantage to achieve high transparency.
  • YAG:Ce phosphor doped with Gd demonstrated a thermal quenching problem of reduced brightness at elevated temperatures (i.e. >110° C.).
  • YAG:Ce(Gd) usually has a thermal conductivity of 5-9 Wm ⁇ 1 K ⁇ 1 whereas Al 2 O 3 has a higher thermal conductivity of about 22-39 Wm ⁇ 1 K ⁇ 1 at room temperature depending on the sample conditions.
  • a phosphor material such as YAG:Ce in Al 2 O 3 as matrix can improve the thermal conductivity.
  • YAG:Ce in Al 2 O 3 results in low forward and in-line transmission because of its non-cubic crystal structure causing bi-infringe effect combined with the residual pores, and the difference of refractive indices between YAG and Al 2 O 3 etc., all these cause excessive light scattering which in turn significantly reduce the in-line transmission, and hence affect the light output.
  • a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure, the ceramic wavelength converter assembly comprising:
  • the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • a light emitting device comprising:
  • a light-emitting structure configured to emit a primary light having a first peak wavelength
  • a ceramic wavelength converter assembly positioned to receive the primary light from the light-emitting structure, the ceramic wavelength converter assembly comprising:
  • the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • a method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure that includes a phosphor layer and an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer comprising:
  • the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic image comprising a ceramic wavelength converter assembly
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic image comprising a phosphor layer and a lower barrier layer.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic image comprising a phosphor layer and an upper barrier layer.
  • FIG. 4 shows the throughput of light in the lower barrier layer as a function of pore radius.
  • FIG. 5 shows the throughput of light in the upper barrier layer as a function of pore radius.
  • FIG. 6 shows the spectral power density of a phosphor layer sandwiched by both the upper and lower barrier layers, all on top of a layer of glue.
  • FIG. 7 shows a method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly.
  • references to the color of the phosphor, LED, or conversion material refer generally to its emission color unless otherwise specified. Thus, a blue LED emits a blue light, a yellow phosphor emits a yellow light and so on.
  • the present invention is directed to a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure comprising a phosphor layer, an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer, wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • a wavelength converter is a solid structure that converts at least part of the light of a certain first wavelength to light of a certain second wavelength.
  • An assembly is the composite of different materials.
  • a ceramic wavelength converter assembly is a composite of different materials comprising at least one ceramic material to convert at least part of the light of a certain first wavelength to light of a certain second wavelength.
  • the ceramic wavelength converter assembly of the present invention has a layered structure, which can also be understood as a sandwich-structure.
  • the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer may comprise a porous structure.
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise a porous structure.
  • a porous structure may be defined as a structure comprising pores having a radius in a range of about 20 nm to about 3000 nm.
  • the structure may have a porosity in a range of between about 0.02% to about 2% by volume.
  • the pore concentration i.e., the number of pores per volume, correlates with porosity.
  • the porosity is given as a fraction and multiplying by 100 gives the porosity as a % value.
  • the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is bigger than the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer.
  • the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer may be smaller than the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer.
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may comprise or constitute of the same material.
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may comprise or constitute of different materials.
  • the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may comprise polycrystalline alumina (PCA), SiO 2 , MgAlO 4 , or combinations thereof.
  • the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may consist of polycrystalline alumina (PCA), SiO 2 , MgAlO 4 , or combinations thereof.
  • the upper barrier layer comprises Al 2 O 3 .
  • the lower barrier layer comprises Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer comprises Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer consists of Al 2 O 3 .
  • the lower barrier layer consists of Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer consist of Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer consist of Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may each have independently a thickness of between about 5 ⁇ m to about 100 ⁇ m, preferably of between about 8 ⁇ m to about 20 ⁇ m, more preferred of between about 10 ⁇ m to about 12 ⁇ m.
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer have the same thickness.
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer have a different thickness.
  • the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer may at least cover about 50% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer may at least cover about 75% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer may at least cover about 90% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer may at least cover more than about 99% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer is completely disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer, which means there is no point of contact between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer and about 100% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer are covered with the phosphor layer.
  • a phosphor is a material that converts light of a certain first wavelength to light of a certain second wavelength.
  • First wavelengths according to the present invention may be wavelengths between 300 nm to 570 nm. In an embodiment the first wavelengths are between 350 nm to 500 nm. In a further embodiment the first wavelengths are between 420 nm to 480 nm.
  • Structures that can produce light of a first wavelength are, e.g., InGaN or GaN chips, or solid state laser diodes.
  • Second wavelengths according to the present invention may be wavelengths between 350 nm to 800 nm. In an embodiment the second wavelengths are between 380 nm to 750 nm. In a further embodiment the second wavelengths are between 400 nm to 700 nm. In another embodiment, light of the second wavelength is yellow light (i.e., the second wavelengths are between 565 nm to 575 nm).
  • the phosphor layer comprises a host material and at least one activator.
  • a host material may be an inorganic crystalline or polycrystalline material.
  • Typical host materials are oxides, nitrides and oxynitrides, sulfides, selenides, halides or silicates of zinc, cadmium, manganese, aluminum, silicon, or various rare-earth metals.
  • the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer are made completely out of the host material.
  • the host material is in the form of a crystal, or in the form of a sintered ceramic material.
  • the sintered ceramic material might further comprise a sinter aid.
  • the host material is a mixture of different host materials.
  • the host materials are particles, platelets, or elongated crystals embedded in a matrix material.
  • the matrix material might be oxides.
  • An exemplary embodiment of the matrix material is Al 2 O 3 .
  • the host material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of garnet, MgAl 2 O 4 , silicates, oxynitrides and nitrides.
  • the host material is garnet, e.g., YAG (yttrium-aluminum-garnet).
  • the phosphors may be doped with at least one activator. Doping in the context of phosphors means the introduction of impurities (activators) in the crystal structure of the host material. Activators may be metal ions, such as Ce 3+ , Gd 3+ , Eu 2+ , wherein Ce 3+ is preferred depending on applications.
  • the amount of activators in the crystal structure may vary in a broad range. Typical amounts of activators are 0.01 at % up to 20 at %. E.g., the amount of the activator in the phosphor layer may be at least 0.8 at %. The amounts of activators depend on optical properties of the final product such as color point, thermal quenching, and color temperature etc.
  • the activator in the phosphor layer is Ce, Gd, or a combination thereof.
  • the host material in the phosphor layer is doped with the activator Ce.
  • the phosphor is selected from the group consisting of YAG:Ce, YAG:Ce(Gd), LuAG:Ce, LuAG:Ce(Gd), and other oxynitride or nitride phosphors.
  • Other oxynitride phosphors may be SrSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu, ⁇ -SiAlON:Eu, and ⁇ -SiAlON:Eu.
  • Other nitride phosphors may be (Sr,Ba) 2 Si 5 N 8 :Eu and La 3 S 16 N 11 :Ce.
  • the phosphor of the phosphor layer is YAG:Ce.
  • the YAG:Ce may be doped with at least 4% of the activator Gd. In alternative embodiments YAG:Ce may be doped with at least 6% of the activator Gd.
  • the phosphor layer may have a thickness of between about 5 ⁇ m to about 40 ⁇ m, preferably of between about 15 ⁇ m to about 25 ⁇ m, more preferred of between about 18 ⁇ m to about 20 ⁇ m.
  • the phosphor layer may comprise more than one layer.
  • the phosphor layer may comprise two, three, four or more layers, so-called sub-layers. With the use of different phosphor materials, the adjustment of the color of the emitted light is possible.
  • the ceramic wavelength converter comprising a phosphor layer, an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer may have a thickness of between about 15 ⁇ m to about 240 ⁇ m, preferably of between about 31 ⁇ m to about 65 ⁇ m, more preferred of between about 38 ⁇ m to about 44 ⁇ m.
  • the present invention is also directed to a light emitting device comprising a light-emitting structure configured to emit a primary light having a first peak wavelength, and a ceramic wavelength converter assembly positioned to receive the primary light from the light-emitting structure comprising a phosphor layer, an upper barrier layer, and a lower barrier layer, wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer and wherein the lower barrier layer is arranged next to the light-emitting structure.
  • the lower barrier layer is arranged next to the light-emitting structure in the light emitting device. “Arranged next to” in the present invention means that the lower barrier layer is the layer closest to the light-emitting structure compared to the further layers of the wavelength converter assembly.
  • the lower barrier layer might be in direct contact to the light-emitting structure.
  • Light-emitting structures that can produce and emit light of a first wavelength are, e.g., InGaN or GaN chips, or solid state laser diodes.
  • the ceramic wavelength converter assembly, the phosphor layer, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may correspond to the respective means and materials as described above.
  • the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer may comprise a porous structure.
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise a porous structure.
  • the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is bigger than the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer.
  • Typical diameters of pores of the porous structures are about 40 ⁇ m to 6000 ⁇ m, preferably 200 ⁇ M to 1200 ⁇ m.
  • the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer may be about 800 ⁇ m to about 6000 ⁇ m, preferably about 800 ⁇ m to about 1200 ⁇ m.
  • the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer may be about 40 ⁇ m to about 800 ⁇ m, preferably about 300 ⁇ m to about 500 ⁇ m.
  • the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer may be about 800 ⁇ m to about 6000 ⁇ m, preferably about 800 ⁇ m to about 1200 ⁇ m and/or the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer may be about 800 ⁇ m to about 6000 ⁇ m, preferably about 800 ⁇ m to about 1200 ⁇ m.
  • the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may comprise polycrystalline alumina.
  • the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may consist of polycrystalline alumina.
  • the upper barrier layer comprises Al 2 O 3 .
  • the lower barrier layer comprises Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer comprises Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer consists of Al 2 O 3 .
  • the lower barrier layer consists of Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer consist of Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer consist of Al 2 O 3 .
  • the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer may at least cover about 50% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer may at least cover about 75% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer may at least cover about 90% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer may at least cover more than about 99% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the phosphor layer is completely disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer, which means there is no point of contact between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer and about 100% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer are covered with the phosphor layer.
  • the phosphor layer comprises a host material and at least one activator.
  • a host material may be an inorganic crystalline or polycrystalline material.
  • Typical host materials are oxides, nitrides and oxynitrides, sulfides, selenides, halides or silicates of zinc, cadmium, manganese, aluminum, silicon, or various rare-earth metals.
  • the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer are made completely out of the host material.
  • the host material is in the form of a crystal, or in the form of a sintered ceramic material.
  • the sintered ceramic material might further comprise a sinter aid.
  • the host material is a mixture of different host materials.
  • the host materials are particles, platelets, or elongated crystals embedded in a matrix material.
  • the matrix material might be oxides.
  • An exemplary embodiment of the matrix material is Al 2 O 3 .
  • the host material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of garnet, MgAl 2 O 4 , silicates, oxynitrides and nitrides.
  • the host material is garnet, e.g., YAG (yttrium-aluminum-garnet).
  • the phosphors may be doped with at least one activator. Doping in the context of phosphors means the introduction of impurities (activators) in the crystal structure of the host material. Activators may be metal ions, such as Ce 3+ , Gd 3+ , Eu 2+ , wherein Ce 3+ is preferred depending on applications.
  • the amount of activators in the crystal structure may vary in a broad range. Typical amounts of activators are 0.01 at % up to 20 at %. E.g., the amount of the activator in the phosphor layer may be at least 0.8 at %. The amounts of activators depend on optical properties of the final product such as color point, thermal quenching, and color temperature etc.
  • the activator in the phosphor layer is Ce, Gd, or a combination thereof.
  • the host material in the phosphor layer is doped with the activator Ce.
  • the phosphor is selected from the group consisting of YAG:Ce, YAG:Ce(Gd), LuAG:Ce, LuAG:Ce(Gd), and other oxynitride or nitride phosphors.
  • Other oxynitride phosphors may be SrSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu, ⁇ -SiAlON:Eu, and ⁇ -SiAlON:Eu.
  • Other nitride phosphors may be (Sr,Ba) 2 Si 5 N 8 :Eu and La 3 Si 6 N 11 :Ce.
  • the phosphor of the phosphor layer is YAG:Ce.
  • the YAG:Ce may be doped with at least 4% of the activator Gd. In alternative embodiments YAG:Ce may be doped with at least 6% of the activator Gd.
  • the phosphor layer may comprise more than one layer.
  • the phosphor layer may comprise two, three, four or more layers, so-called sub-layers. With the use of different phosphor materials, the adjustment of the color of the emitted light is possible.
  • the phosphor layer is YAG:Ce and the upper and the lower barrier layers consist of polycrystalline alumina.
  • the upper barrier layer comprises a porous structure having pore diameters of about 180 nm to about 220 nm and the lower barrier layer comprises a porous structure having pore diameters of about 480 nm to about 520 nm.
  • the light emitting devices are coated with at least one layer of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , or a combination thereof.
  • the ceramic wavelength converter assembly might be useful in any light emitting device known to the person skilled in the art.
  • the light emitting devices comprising the ceramic wavelength converter assemblies, or light emitting devices of the present invention are useful in various applications. Exemplary applications of the light emitting devices are in automotive industry, in household appliances and in general lighting.
  • the present invention is further directed to a method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure that includes a phosphor layer and an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer comprising providing a phosphor layer, applying an upper barrier layer on an upper side of the phosphor layer and applying a lower barrier on a lower side of the third layer, wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
  • the ceramic wavelength converter assembly, the phosphor layer, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may correspond to the respective means and materials as described above.
  • the application of the layers may be carried out by a conventional tape cast process consisting of the procedures like tape-casting, blanking, lamination, punch etc. processes.
  • the ceramic wavelength converter assembly can also be made by various conventions processes, such as die pressing, cold isostatic pressing (CIP), tape cast, hot pressing (HP), hot isostatic pressing (HIP) etc. as forming and/or sintering processes.
  • CIP cold isostatic pressing
  • HP hot pressing
  • HIP hot isostatic pressing
  • a preferred method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure is by conventional tape casting, i.e., by laminating the different layers of different compositions and thickness as designed followed by the punching, prefiring, and sintering.
  • the desired shape for a sintered ceramic wavelength converter assembly may be typically about 1 mm ⁇ 1 mm square with a thickness of 30 to 2000 microns. The size could be as small as 0.5 mm square for smaller light emitting devices.
  • the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise a porous structure.
  • the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer comprises Al 2 O 3 .
  • the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may comprise polycrystalline alumina.
  • a ceramic wavelength converter assembly might be prepared with a method according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 shows an exemplary ceramic wavelength converter assembly 1 of the present invention.
  • scattering occurs separately from absorption in the two barrier layers, i.e., the upper barrier layer 3 , which is neighbored to the air 6 , and the lower barrier layer 4 , which is neighbored to the glue layer 5 .
  • barrier-layer scattering occurs above the phosphor layer 2 separately from scattering that occurs below the phosphor layer 2 .
  • the lower barrier layer 4 receives most of its blue light from the light-emitting structure 7 neighbored to the glue layer 5 below, and most of its converted light from the phosphor layer 2 above.
  • the phosphor layer has a thickness 15 to 25 ⁇ m, bounded by two barrier layers, which are made from PCA (polycrystalline alumina) of a thickness of 8 to 15 ⁇ m.
  • the upper barrier layer 3 of FIG. 1 has a different task: Since it receives a full spectrum of light from the phosphor layer 2 , maximum extraction of all light going upward towards the air is realized.
  • FIG. 2 shows a sub-domain of the ceramic wavelength converter 1 of the present invention.
  • the upper barrier layer 3 is shown with a dotted line.
  • 1 W of blue light is emitted in a Lambertian distribution upward from the glue layer 5 .
  • 0.3 W converted light is emitted in a Lambertian distribution downward from the phosphor layer 2 .
  • With a conversion efficiency of 60%, 0.6 W of converted light is emitted, of which half is directed downward to the lower barrier layer 4 .
  • Scattering parameters of size and pore concentration in the lower barrier layer 4 are explored to find scattering conditions that send the largest possible fraction of light (both blue and converted) up to the phopshor-layer boundary and away from the glue.
  • FIG. 3 shows a sub-domain of the ceramic wavelength converter 1 of the present invention.
  • the lower barrier layer 4 is shown with a dotted line.
  • 1 W of white light is emitted upward in a Lambertian distribution from the phosphor layer 2 .
  • Scattering parameters of size and pore concentration in the upper barrier layer 3 are explored to find the scattering conditions that send the largest possible fraction of light up to the layer boundary to the air 6 and away from the phosphor layer 2 .
  • FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the throughput of light in each of the two barrier layers as a function of pore radius.
  • concentration of pores is characterized by a parameter A which is defined as the scattering coefficient multiplied by the layer thickness to make it dimensionless.
  • the values at which A is held fixed (0.2, 0.5, and 1) describe a range of values that are common in ceramic wavelength converters.
  • FIG. 4 shows the throughput of light in the lower barrier layer that makes it up to the phosphor layer.
  • FIG. 5 shows the throughput of light in the upper barrier layer that makes it up to the air.
  • the scattering coefficient ⁇ in units of (1/mm) is a material property that describes its likelihood to scatter—higher values of ⁇ cause more scattering.
  • ⁇ is defined so that the fraction of light that passes through the sample is e ⁇ ( ⁇ *L) and the fraction that gets scattered is [1 ⁇ e ⁇ ( ⁇ *L) ].
  • ⁇ *L the pore concentrations in the barrier layers are low.
  • Pores of radius less than 100 nm may curtail throughput at all levels and should be avoided as much as possible.
  • Optimal pore sizes in each layer are apparent, e.g., from the two plots shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 . Pore sizes might take on different values for the different barrier layers.
  • FIG. 2 in the lower barrier layer, pores of radius 200 nm send the largest amount of light up to the phosphor layer.
  • pores of radius 500 nm offer better throughput to the air.
  • these results appear to be robust enough that they can give acceptably high throughput independently of the pore concentrations.
  • FIG. 6 shows the spectral power density of a phosphor layer ( 2 ) sandwiched by both the upper ( 3 ) and lower ( 4 ) barrier layers, all on top of a layer of glue ( 5 ).
  • 1 W of blue light is emitted in a Lambertian distribution upward from the bottom of the glue layer.
  • a mirror is added to the bottom of the glue layer representing the mirror inside of a chip. 95% of the light impinging on this mirror is reflected back up to the glue layer in a Lambertian distribution. This gives much of the light multiple paths through the barrier and phosphor layers, just as it has in a real package. Using results from FIGS.
  • the barrier layers have pores of radius 200 nm in the lower barrier layer, and radius 500 nm in the upper barrier layer.
  • This embodiment shows how the color can be adjusted by adjusting the pore density.
  • FIG. 7 shows an exemplary method 8 for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly 1 .
  • a phosphor layer 2 is provided in a first step A.
  • an upper barrier layer 3 is applied on an upper side of the phosphor layer 2 in a subsequent step B.
  • a lower barrier layer 4 is applied on a lower side of the phosphor layer 2 .

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Luminescent Compositions (AREA)
  • Led Device Packages (AREA)

Abstract

A multilayer ceramic converter with stratified scattering is disclosed. In an embodiment a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure includes a phosphor layer, an upper barrier layer, and a lower barrier layer, wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to ceramic wavelength converter assemblies, light emitting devices comprising ceramic wavelength converter assemblies and methods for producing ceramic wavelength converter assemblies.
BACKGROUND
LED (light emitting diode) based on phosphors often combines a blue light emitting InGaN chip with a yellow oxide converter such as YAG:Ce(Gd) phosphor/ceramics for the compromise of cost, efficiency and CRI (color rendering index). Currently, for white light LEDs, ceramic converters often used are YAG:Ce(Gd) ceramics for high internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and high lumens. YAG:Ce(Gd) ceramic converters currently used are normally doped with Gd (from 1 to 20 at. %) for color steering. Its cubic crystal structure and high diffusion coefficient impart easier densification at reasonable temperatures and provide the advantage to achieve high transparency.
However, with the ever-increasing demands on applications at elevated temperatures with increased operating current of high-power LED, YAG:Ce phosphor doped with Gd demonstrated a thermal quenching problem of reduced brightness at elevated temperatures (i.e. >110° C.).
Different potential methods to improve the thermal quenching performance of ceramic converters apart from the efforts on the design of package have been proposed, such as (1) reducing the doping level of Gd as a dopant or even totally eliminating it; and/or (2) using higher thermal conductive materials as a matrix in the form of composites, such as YAG:Ce phosphor in Al2O3, AlN etc. Of these composite ceramic converter materials, YAG:Ce phosphor in Al2O3 matrix is of the most interest, simply because both are oxides and have a very good physical and thermal compatibility at reasonable processing/operation ranges. YAG:Ce(Gd) usually has a thermal conductivity of 5-9 Wm−1K−1 whereas Al2O3 has a higher thermal conductivity of about 22-39 Wm−1K−1 at room temperature depending on the sample conditions.
Completely eliminating Gd from YAG:Ce(Gd) phosphor will improve the thermal quenching significantly, however, it also requires to change the current ceramic converter dimension especially in thickness significantly in order to achieve the same color desired in single phase form; e.g., from 120 μm to about 30 μm or below, which is too thin for normal production procedure to handle. Therefore reducing the amount of Gd doping in YAG:Ce phosphor/ceramics seems a compromised method with a compromised performance.
Using a phosphor material, such as YAG:Ce in Al2O3 as matrix can improve the thermal conductivity. On the other hand, it results in low forward and in-line transmission because of its non-cubic crystal structure causing bi-infringe effect combined with the residual pores, and the difference of refractive indices between YAG and Al2O3 etc., all these cause excessive light scattering which in turn significantly reduce the in-line transmission, and hence affect the light output. To increase the sintering temperature, to prolong the sintering dwelling time, or to introduce a small amount of liquid phase can improve translucency of composite materials with an Al2O3 matrix, but it will cause decrease in IQE (internal quantum efficiency) because of the potential chemical incompatibility (reactions, defects etc.). Spark plasma sintering (SPS) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) have also been applied to reinforce the densification of the composite materials. However, these methods result in darkening issues because of the furnace lining materials at high temperature and reducing atmosphere etc., hence reducing the IQE significantly to an unacceptable value for commercialization.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the invention to obviate the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of the invention to provide a ceramic wavelength converter assembly that might be used in LED applications.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a light emitting device comprising at least one ceramic wavelength converter assembly of the present invention.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly of the present invention.
In accordance with one object of the invention, there is provided a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure, the ceramic wavelength converter assembly comprising:
a phosphor layer;
an upper barrier layer; and
a lower barrier layer;
wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
In accordance with another object of the present invention, there is provided a light emitting device comprising:
a light-emitting structure configured to emit a primary light having a first peak wavelength; and
a ceramic wavelength converter assembly positioned to receive the primary light from the light-emitting structure, the ceramic wavelength converter assembly comprising:
a phosphor layer;
an upper barrier layer; and
a lower barrier layer;
wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
In accordance with another object of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure that includes a phosphor layer and an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer, the method comprising:
providing a phosphor layer;
applying an upper barrier layer on an upper side of the phosphor layer and applying a lower barrier on a lower side of the third layer;
wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic image comprising a ceramic wavelength converter assembly
FIG. 2 is a schematic image comprising a phosphor layer and a lower barrier layer.
FIG. 3 is a schematic image comprising a phosphor layer and an upper barrier layer.
FIG. 4 shows the throughput of light in the lower barrier layer as a function of pore radius.
FIG. 5 shows the throughput of light in the upper barrier layer as a function of pore radius.
FIG. 6 shows the spectral power density of a phosphor layer sandwiched by both the upper and lower barrier layers, all on top of a layer of glue.
FIG. 7 shows a method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly.
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects, advantages and capabilities thereof, reference is made to the following disclosure and appended claims taken in conjunction with the above-described drawings.
References to the color of the phosphor, LED, or conversion material refer generally to its emission color unless otherwise specified. Thus, a blue LED emits a blue light, a yellow phosphor emits a yellow light and so on.
The present invention is directed to a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure comprising a phosphor layer, an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer, wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
As used herein a wavelength converter is a solid structure that converts at least part of the light of a certain first wavelength to light of a certain second wavelength. An assembly is the composite of different materials. In general a ceramic wavelength converter assembly is a composite of different materials comprising at least one ceramic material to convert at least part of the light of a certain first wavelength to light of a certain second wavelength.
The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of the present invention has a layered structure, which can also be understood as a sandwich-structure.
The upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer may comprise a porous structure.
In an embodiment, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise a porous structure.
A porous structure may be defined as a structure comprising pores having a radius in a range of about 20 nm to about 3000 nm. The structure may have a porosity in a range of between about 0.02% to about 2% by volume.
In general, the pore concentration, i.e., the number of pores per volume, correlates with porosity.
The porosity may be defined as follows:
Porosity=[4/3*π*(pore radius)3*(pore concentration)]/(sample volume).
In the above formula, the porosity is given as a fraction and multiplying by 100 gives the porosity as a % value.
In an embodiment, the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is bigger than the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer.
The diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer may be smaller than the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer.
The upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may comprise or constitute of the same material. Alternatively, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may comprise or constitute of different materials.
The upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may comprise polycrystalline alumina (PCA), SiO2, MgAlO4, or combinations thereof. Alternatively, the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may consist of polycrystalline alumina (PCA), SiO2, MgAlO4, or combinations thereof.
In a further embodiment, the upper barrier layer comprises Al2O3. In a further embodiment, the lower barrier layer comprises Al2O3. In an embodiment, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise Al2O3. In an alternative embodiment, the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer comprises Al2O3.
In a further embodiment, the upper barrier layer consists of Al2O3. In a further embodiment, the lower barrier layer consists of Al2O3. In an embodiment, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer consist of Al2O3. In an alternative embodiment, the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer consist of Al2O3.
The upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may each have independently a thickness of between about 5 μm to about 100 μm, preferably of between about 8 μm to about 20 μm, more preferred of between about 10 μm to about 12 μm. In an aspect of the embodiment, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer have the same thickness. In an alternative aspect of the embodiment, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer have a different thickness.
According to the present invention, the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer. The phosphor layer may at least cover about 50% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer. Preferably, the phosphor layer may at least cover about 75% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer. More preferred, the phosphor layer may at least cover about 90% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer. Even more preferred, the phosphor layer may at least cover more than about 99% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
In an embodiment, the phosphor layer is completely disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer, which means there is no point of contact between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer and about 100% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer are covered with the phosphor layer.
According to the present invention, a phosphor is a material that converts light of a certain first wavelength to light of a certain second wavelength.
First wavelengths according to the present invention may be wavelengths between 300 nm to 570 nm. In an embodiment the first wavelengths are between 350 nm to 500 nm. In a further embodiment the first wavelengths are between 420 nm to 480 nm.
Structures that can produce light of a first wavelength are, e.g., InGaN or GaN chips, or solid state laser diodes.
Second wavelengths according to the present invention may be wavelengths between 350 nm to 800 nm. In an embodiment the second wavelengths are between 380 nm to 750 nm. In a further embodiment the second wavelengths are between 400 nm to 700 nm. In another embodiment, light of the second wavelength is yellow light (i.e., the second wavelengths are between 565 nm to 575 nm).
In an embodiment, the phosphor layer comprises a host material and at least one activator.
A host material may be an inorganic crystalline or polycrystalline material. Typical host materials are oxides, nitrides and oxynitrides, sulfides, selenides, halides or silicates of zinc, cadmium, manganese, aluminum, silicon, or various rare-earth metals.
In an embodiment the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer are made completely out of the host material. In this embodiment, the host material is in the form of a crystal, or in the form of a sintered ceramic material. The sintered ceramic material might further comprise a sinter aid.
In an embodiment the host material is a mixture of different host materials.
In a further embodiment, the host materials are particles, platelets, or elongated crystals embedded in a matrix material. The matrix material might be oxides. An exemplary embodiment of the matrix material is Al2O3.
In an embodiment, the host material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of garnet, MgAl2O4, silicates, oxynitrides and nitrides. In a preferred embodiment, the host material is garnet, e.g., YAG (yttrium-aluminum-garnet).
The phosphors may be doped with at least one activator. Doping in the context of phosphors means the introduction of impurities (activators) in the crystal structure of the host material. Activators may be metal ions, such as Ce3+, Gd3+, Eu2+, wherein Ce3+ is preferred depending on applications. The amount of activators in the crystal structure may vary in a broad range. Typical amounts of activators are 0.01 at % up to 20 at %. E.g., the amount of the activator in the phosphor layer may be at least 0.8 at %. The amounts of activators depend on optical properties of the final product such as color point, thermal quenching, and color temperature etc.
In an embodiment, the activator in the phosphor layer is Ce, Gd, or a combination thereof.
In a preferred embodiment, the host material in the phosphor layer is doped with the activator Ce.
In an embodiment, the phosphor is selected from the group consisting of YAG:Ce, YAG:Ce(Gd), LuAG:Ce, LuAG:Ce(Gd), and other oxynitride or nitride phosphors. Other oxynitride phosphors may be SrSi2O2N2:Eu, α-SiAlON:Eu, and β-SiAlON:Eu. Other nitride phosphors may be (Sr,Ba)2Si5N8:Eu and La3S16N11:Ce.
In an embodiment, the phosphor of the phosphor layer is YAG:Ce. The YAG:Ce may be doped with at least 4% of the activator Gd. In alternative embodiments YAG:Ce may be doped with at least 6% of the activator Gd.
The phosphor layer may have a thickness of between about 5 μm to about 40 μm, preferably of between about 15 μm to about 25 μm, more preferred of between about 18 μm to about 20 μm.
The phosphor layer may comprise more than one layer. In an embodiment, the phosphor layer may comprise two, three, four or more layers, so-called sub-layers. With the use of different phosphor materials, the adjustment of the color of the emitted light is possible.
The ceramic wavelength converter comprising a phosphor layer, an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer may have a thickness of between about 15 μm to about 240 μm, preferably of between about 31 μm to about 65 μm, more preferred of between about 38 μm to about 44 μm.
The present invention is also directed to a light emitting device comprising a light-emitting structure configured to emit a primary light having a first peak wavelength, and a ceramic wavelength converter assembly positioned to receive the primary light from the light-emitting structure comprising a phosphor layer, an upper barrier layer, and a lower barrier layer, wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer and wherein the lower barrier layer is arranged next to the light-emitting structure.
According to the present invention, the lower barrier layer is arranged next to the light-emitting structure in the light emitting device. “Arranged next to” in the present invention means that the lower barrier layer is the layer closest to the light-emitting structure compared to the further layers of the wavelength converter assembly. The lower barrier layer might be in direct contact to the light-emitting structure. In an alternative embodiment, there might be at least partially a bonding layer, such as a glue layer, between the lower barrier layer and the light-emitting structure.
Light-emitting structures that can produce and emit light of a first wavelength are, e.g., InGaN or GaN chips, or solid state laser diodes.
The ceramic wavelength converter assembly, the phosphor layer, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may correspond to the respective means and materials as described above.
The upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer may comprise a porous structure.
In an embodiment, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise a porous structure.
In a further embodiment, the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is bigger than the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer. Typical diameters of pores of the porous structures are about 40 μm to 6000 μm, preferably 200 μM to 1200 μm. The diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer may be about 800 μm to about 6000 μm, preferably about 800 μm to about 1200 μm. The diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer may be about 40 μm to about 800 μm, preferably about 300 μm to about 500 μm.
The diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer may be about 800 μm to about 6000 μm, preferably about 800 μm to about 1200 μm and/or the diameter of the pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer may be about 800 μm to about 6000 μm, preferably about 800 μm to about 1200 μm.
The upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may comprise polycrystalline alumina. Alternatively, the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may consist of polycrystalline alumina.
In a further embodiment, the upper barrier layer comprises Al2O3. In a further embodiment, the lower barrier layer comprises Al2O3. In an embodiment, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise Al2O3. In an alternative embodiment, the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer comprises Al2O3.
In a further embodiment, the upper barrier layer consists of Al2O3. In a further embodiment, the lower barrier layer consists of Al2O3. In an embodiment, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer consist of Al2O3. In an alternative embodiment, the upper barrier layer or the lower barrier layer consist of Al2O3.
According to the present invention, the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer. The phosphor layer may at least cover about 50% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer. Preferably, the phosphor layer may at least cover about 75% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer. More preferred, the phosphor layer may at least cover about 90% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer. Even more preferred, the phosphor layer may at least cover more than about 99% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
In an embodiment, the phosphor layer is completely disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer, which means there is no point of contact between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer and about 100% of the boundary between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer are covered with the phosphor layer.
In an embodiment, the phosphor layer comprises a host material and at least one activator.
A host material may be an inorganic crystalline or polycrystalline material. Typical host materials are oxides, nitrides and oxynitrides, sulfides, selenides, halides or silicates of zinc, cadmium, manganese, aluminum, silicon, or various rare-earth metals.
In an embodiment the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer are made completely out of the host material. In this embodiment, the host material is in the form of a crystal, or in the form of a sintered ceramic material. The sintered ceramic material might further comprise a sinter aid.
In an embodiment the host material is a mixture of different host materials.
In a further embodiment, the host materials are particles, platelets, or elongated crystals embedded in a matrix material. The matrix material might be oxides. An exemplary embodiment of the matrix material is Al2O3.
In an embodiment, the host material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of garnet, MgAl2O4, silicates, oxynitrides and nitrides. In a preferred embodiment, the host material is garnet, e.g., YAG (yttrium-aluminum-garnet).
The phosphors may be doped with at least one activator. Doping in the context of phosphors means the introduction of impurities (activators) in the crystal structure of the host material. Activators may be metal ions, such as Ce3+, Gd3+, Eu2+, wherein Ce3+ is preferred depending on applications. The amount of activators in the crystal structure may vary in a broad range. Typical amounts of activators are 0.01 at % up to 20 at %. E.g., the amount of the activator in the phosphor layer may be at least 0.8 at %. The amounts of activators depend on optical properties of the final product such as color point, thermal quenching, and color temperature etc.
In an embodiment, the activator in the phosphor layer is Ce, Gd, or a combination thereof.
In a preferred embodiment, the host material in the phosphor layer is doped with the activator Ce.
In an embodiment, the phosphor is selected from the group consisting of YAG:Ce, YAG:Ce(Gd), LuAG:Ce, LuAG:Ce(Gd), and other oxynitride or nitride phosphors. Other oxynitride phosphors may be SrSi2O2N2:Eu, α-SiAlON:Eu, and β-SiAlON:Eu. Other nitride phosphors may be (Sr,Ba)2Si5N8:Eu and La3Si6N11:Ce.
In an embodiment, the phosphor of the phosphor layer is YAG:Ce. The YAG:Ce may be doped with at least 4% of the activator Gd. In alternative embodiments YAG:Ce may be doped with at least 6% of the activator Gd.
The phosphor layer may comprise more than one layer. In an embodiment, the phosphor layer may comprise two, three, four or more layers, so-called sub-layers. With the use of different phosphor materials, the adjustment of the color of the emitted light is possible.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the phosphor layer is YAG:Ce and the upper and the lower barrier layers consist of polycrystalline alumina. In an aspect of this embodiment, the upper barrier layer comprises a porous structure having pore diameters of about 180 nm to about 220 nm and the lower barrier layer comprises a porous structure having pore diameters of about 480 nm to about 520 nm.
In some embodiments the light emitting devices are coated with at least one layer of SiO2, Al2O3, or a combination thereof.
The ceramic wavelength converter assembly might be useful in any light emitting device known to the person skilled in the art. The light emitting devices comprising the ceramic wavelength converter assemblies, or light emitting devices of the present invention are useful in various applications. Exemplary applications of the light emitting devices are in automotive industry, in household appliances and in general lighting.
The present invention is further directed to a method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure that includes a phosphor layer and an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer comprising providing a phosphor layer, applying an upper barrier layer on an upper side of the phosphor layer and applying a lower barrier on a lower side of the third layer, wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer.
The ceramic wavelength converter assembly, the phosphor layer, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer may correspond to the respective means and materials as described above.
The application of the layers may be carried out by a conventional tape cast process consisting of the procedures like tape-casting, blanking, lamination, punch etc. processes.
The ceramic wavelength converter assembly can also be made by various conventions processes, such as die pressing, cold isostatic pressing (CIP), tape cast, hot pressing (HP), hot isostatic pressing (HIP) etc. as forming and/or sintering processes.
A preferred method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure is by conventional tape casting, i.e., by laminating the different layers of different compositions and thickness as designed followed by the punching, prefiring, and sintering. The desired shape for a sintered ceramic wavelength converter assembly may be typically about 1 mm×1 mm square with a thickness of 30 to 2000 microns. The size could be as small as 0.5 mm square for smaller light emitting devices.
In an embodiment, the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise a porous structure.
In a further embodiment, the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer comprises Al2O3. The upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer may comprise polycrystalline alumina.
A ceramic wavelength converter assembly might be prepared with a method according to the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary ceramic wavelength converter assembly 1 of the present invention. For example, in a layered structure, scattering occurs separately from absorption in the two barrier layers, i.e., the upper barrier layer 3, which is neighbored to the air 6, and the lower barrier layer 4, which is neighbored to the glue layer 5. In addition, barrier-layer scattering occurs above the phosphor layer 2 separately from scattering that occurs below the phosphor layer 2. For a ceramic converter assembly with its layers shown in FIG. 1, the lower barrier layer 4 receives most of its blue light from the light-emitting structure 7 neighbored to the glue layer 5 below, and most of its converted light from the phosphor layer 2 above. In a preferred embodiment, the phosphor layer has a thickness 15 to 25 μm, bounded by two barrier layers, which are made from PCA (polycrystalline alumina) of a thickness of 8 to 15 μm.
As a result, scattering in the lower barrier layer 4 forward-scatters the maximum possible amount of blue light while back-scattering the maximum possible amount of converted light. The upper barrier layer 3 of FIG. 1 has a different task: Since it receives a full spectrum of light from the phosphor layer 2, maximum extraction of all light going upward towards the air is realized.
In general, light rays enter and exit the barrier layers multiple times. In this context, scattering configurations that maximize exits at the upper barrier layer are the desirable ones.
FIG. 2 shows a sub-domain of the ceramic wavelength converter 1 of the present invention. The upper barrier layer 3 is shown with a dotted line. In the lower barrier layer 4, 1 W of blue light is emitted in a Lambertian distribution upward from the glue layer 5. In addition, 0.3 W converted light is emitted in a Lambertian distribution downward from the phosphor layer 2. With a conversion efficiency of 60%, 0.6 W of converted light is emitted, of which half is directed downward to the lower barrier layer 4. Scattering parameters of size and pore concentration in the lower barrier layer 4 are explored to find scattering conditions that send the largest possible fraction of light (both blue and converted) up to the phopshor-layer boundary and away from the glue.
FIG. 3 shows a sub-domain of the ceramic wavelength converter 1 of the present invention. The lower barrier layer 4 is shown with a dotted line. In the upper barrier layer 3, 1 W of white light is emitted upward in a Lambertian distribution from the phosphor layer 2. Scattering parameters of size and pore concentration in the upper barrier layer 3 are explored to find the scattering conditions that send the largest possible fraction of light up to the layer boundary to the air 6 and away from the phosphor layer 2.
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the throughput of light in each of the two barrier layers as a function of pore radius. The concentration of pores is characterized by a parameter A which is defined as the scattering coefficient multiplied by the layer thickness to make it dimensionless. The values at which A is held fixed (0.2, 0.5, and 1) describe a range of values that are common in ceramic wavelength converters.
FIG. 4 shows the throughput of light in the lower barrier layer that makes it up to the phosphor layer.
FIG. 5 shows the throughput of light in the upper barrier layer that makes it up to the air.
The parameter A=γ*L is the same as the “scattering coefficient multiplied by the layer thickness” mentioned above. When light impinges on a block of material of thickness L [mm], some of it passes straight through to the other side, and some of it collides with a pore inside the material and gets scattered. The scattering coefficient γ in units of (1/mm) is a material property that describes its likelihood to scatter—higher values of γ cause more scattering.
γ is defined so that the fraction of light that passes through the sample is e−(γ*L) and the fraction that gets scattered is [1−e−(γ*L)].
Preferably, increased light output in both barrier layers is observed when the y*L parameter is low, meaning when the pore concentrations in the barrier layers are low. Within the other design constraints associated with color, often less scattering is better than more scattering in both barrier layers. Pores of radius less than 100 nm may curtail throughput at all levels and should be avoided as much as possible. Optimal pore sizes in each layer are apparent, e.g., from the two plots shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. Pore sizes might take on different values for the different barrier layers. According to FIG. 2, in the lower barrier layer, pores of radius 200 nm send the largest amount of light up to the phosphor layer. According to FIG. 3, in the upper barrier layer, pores of radius 500 nm offer better throughput to the air. In addition, these results appear to be robust enough that they can give acceptably high throughput independently of the pore concentrations.
In the upper layer, it may be counterintuitive that less than 0.3 W of light is escaping when 1 W has been put into the layer, when a single entry of light rays into the barrier layer is chosen: This occurs partly because TIR (total internal reflection) prevents light at higher angles from escaping into air from the PCA with refractive index of 1.77. In further ceramic wavelength converters, in barrier layers the light rays experience multiple trips through reflection from the chip mirror, i.e., the light-emitting structure, such as a InGaN chip. In the latter embodiment, the extraction is much higher than 30%.
Herein, scattering properties with different pore radii for the different layers are described. For barrier layers of PCA with a YAG-Ce phosphor layer, the radii of 200 and 500 nm apply to the lower and upper barrier layers, respectively. In addition, the lower values of pore density for the range considered are described, although at least a minimal amount of scattering might be necessary in the upper barrier layer for light extraction.
FIG. 6 shows the spectral power density of a phosphor layer (2) sandwiched by both the upper (3) and lower (4) barrier layers, all on top of a layer of glue (5). 1 W of blue light is emitted in a Lambertian distribution upward from the bottom of the glue layer. In addition, a mirror is added to the bottom of the glue layer representing the mirror inside of a chip. 95% of the light impinging on this mirror is reflected back up to the glue layer in a Lambertian distribution. This gives much of the light multiple paths through the barrier and phosphor layers, just as it has in a real package. Using results from FIGS. 4 and 5 for a preferred embodiment, the barrier layers have pores of radius 200 nm in the lower barrier layer, and radius 500 nm in the upper barrier layer. The spectrum of light coming out of this assembly is shown for the 3 different values of the scattering parameter A, with A=0.2, 0.5, 1. This embodiment shows how the color can be adjusted by adjusting the pore density.
FIG. 7 shows an exemplary method 8 for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly 1. In a first step A, a phosphor layer 2 is provided. In a subsequent step B, an upper barrier layer 3 is applied on an upper side of the phosphor layer 2. Simultaneously, or subsequently, a lower barrier layer 4 is applied on a lower side of the phosphor layer 2.
While there have been shown and described what are at present considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The disclosure rather comprises any new feature as well as any combination of features, which in particular includes any combination of features in the appended claims, even if the feature or combination is not per se explicitly indicated in the claims or the examples.

Claims (20)

What is claimed is:
1. A ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure, the ceramic wavelength converter assembly comprising:
a phosphor layer;
an upper barrier layer; and
a lower barrier layer,
wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially located between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer,
wherein the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise a porous structure, and
wherein a diameter of pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is bigger than a diameter of pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer.
2. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 1,
wherein the diameter of pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is about 800 μm to about 6000 μm, and/or
wherein the diameter of pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer is about 800 μm to about 6000 μm.
3. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer comprises Al2O3.
4. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 1, wherein the phosphor layer comprises a host material and activators.
5. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 4, wherein the host material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of garnet, MgAl2O4, silicates, oxynitrides and nitrides.
6. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 4, wherein the host material is garnet.
7. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 4, wherein the activators are Ce, or Gd, or a combination thereof.
8. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 4, wherein the activators of the host material are doped Ce.
9. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 1, wherein a phosphor of the phosphor layer is selected from the group consisting of YAG:Ce, YAG:Ce(Gd), LuAG:Ce and LuAG:Ce(Gd).
10. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 1, wherein a phosphor of the phosphor layer is YAG:Ce.
11. A light emitting device comprising:
a light-emitting structure configured to emit a primary light having a first peak wavelength; and
a ceramic wavelength converter assembly positioned to receive the primary light from the light-emitting structure, the ceramic wavelength converter assembly comprising:
a phosphor layer;
an upper barrier layer; and
a lower barrier layer,
wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially located between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer,
wherein the lower barrier layer is arranged next to the light-emitting structure,
wherein the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise a porous structure, and
wherein a diameter of pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is bigger than a diameter of pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer.
12. The light emitting device of claim 11, wherein the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer comprises Al2O3.
13. The light emitting device of claim 11, wherein the phosphor layer comprises a host material and at least one activator.
14. The light emitting device of claim 11, wherein a phosphor of the phosphor layer is selected from the group consisting of YAG:Ce, YAG:Ce(Gd), LuAG:Ce, LuAG:Ce(Gd), other oxynitride phosphors and nitride phosphors.
15. A method for producing a ceramic wavelength converter assembly having a layered structure that includes a phosphor layer, an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer, the method comprising:
providing the phosphor layer;
applying the upper barrier layer on an upper side of the phosphor layer; and
applying the lower barrier layer on a lower side of the phosphor layer,
wherein the phosphor layer is at least partially disposed between the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer,
wherein the upper barrier layer and the lower barrier layer comprise a porous structure, and
wherein a diameter of pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is bigger than a diameter of pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the upper barrier layer and/or the lower barrier layer comprises Al2O3.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein a phosphor of the phosphor layer is selected from the group consisting of YAG:Ce, YAG:Ce(Gd), LuAG:Ce, LuAG:Ce(Gd), other oxynitride phosphors and nitride phosphors.
18. The ceramic wavelength converter assembly of claim 1, wherein a phosphor of the phosphor layer is selected from the group consisting of oxynitride phosphors and nitride phosphors.
19. The light emitting device of claim 11,
wherein the diameter of pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is about 800 μm to about 6000 μm, and/or
wherein the diameter of pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer is about 800 μm to about 6000 μm.
20. The method of claim 15,
wherein the diameter of pores of the porous structure of the upper barrier layer is about 800 μm to about 6000 μm, and/or
wherein the diameter of pores of the porous structure of the lower barrier layer is about 800 μm to about 6000 μm.
US16/406,950 2019-05-08 2019-05-08 Multilayer ceramic converter with stratified scattering Active US11069841B2 (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US16/406,950 US11069841B2 (en) 2019-05-08 2019-05-08 Multilayer ceramic converter with stratified scattering
PCT/EP2020/062426 WO2020225250A1 (en) 2019-05-08 2020-05-05 Multilayer ceramic converter with stratified scattering
DE112020002257.9T DE112020002257T5 (en) 2019-05-08 2020-05-05 MULTI-LAYER CERAMIC CONVERTER WITH STRATIFIED DISPERSION

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US16/406,950 US11069841B2 (en) 2019-05-08 2019-05-08 Multilayer ceramic converter with stratified scattering

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20200357959A1 US20200357959A1 (en) 2020-11-12
US11069841B2 true US11069841B2 (en) 2021-07-20

Family

ID=70682827

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US16/406,950 Active US11069841B2 (en) 2019-05-08 2019-05-08 Multilayer ceramic converter with stratified scattering

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US11069841B2 (en)
DE (1) DE112020002257T5 (en)
WO (1) WO2020225250A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2023057344A1 (en) 2021-10-04 2023-04-13 Ams-Osram International Gmbh Blue photon coupling improvement in layer-structured ceramic converter

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN113544236A (en) * 2019-04-18 2021-10-22 日本电气硝子株式会社 Wavelength conversion member, method for manufacturing same, and light-emitting device

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20110002140A1 (en) * 2009-07-03 2011-01-06 Sony Corporation Phosphor sheet, a diffusion plate, an illuminating device, and a display unit
US20120001214A1 (en) 2010-06-30 2012-01-05 Nitto Denko Corporation Phosphor ceramic and light-emitting device
US20120068213A1 (en) 2010-09-20 2012-03-22 Nitto Denko Corporation Light emissive ceramic laminate and method of making same
US20150228870A1 (en) * 2012-08-23 2015-08-13 Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh Method for producing a light-emitting semiconductor device and light-emitting semiconductor device
US20150261076A1 (en) 2012-10-01 2015-09-17 Koninklijke Philips N.V. Wavelength converting element comprising ceramic capsule
US20150298424A1 (en) 2014-04-16 2015-10-22 Schott Ag Layer composite, method for the production thereof as well as uses thereof
US20160069539A1 (en) * 2013-04-08 2016-03-10 Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh Method of producing a covnersion element, and conversion element
US20170137328A1 (en) * 2014-06-18 2017-05-18 Osram Sylvania Inc. Method of making a ceramic wavelength converter assembly
US20190195466A1 (en) * 2017-12-22 2019-06-27 Lumileds Llc Ceramic phosphor with lateral light barriers

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20110002140A1 (en) * 2009-07-03 2011-01-06 Sony Corporation Phosphor sheet, a diffusion plate, an illuminating device, and a display unit
US20120001214A1 (en) 2010-06-30 2012-01-05 Nitto Denko Corporation Phosphor ceramic and light-emitting device
US20120068213A1 (en) 2010-09-20 2012-03-22 Nitto Denko Corporation Light emissive ceramic laminate and method of making same
US20150228870A1 (en) * 2012-08-23 2015-08-13 Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh Method for producing a light-emitting semiconductor device and light-emitting semiconductor device
US20150261076A1 (en) 2012-10-01 2015-09-17 Koninklijke Philips N.V. Wavelength converting element comprising ceramic capsule
US20160069539A1 (en) * 2013-04-08 2016-03-10 Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh Method of producing a covnersion element, and conversion element
US20150298424A1 (en) 2014-04-16 2015-10-22 Schott Ag Layer composite, method for the production thereof as well as uses thereof
US20170137328A1 (en) * 2014-06-18 2017-05-18 Osram Sylvania Inc. Method of making a ceramic wavelength converter assembly
US20190195466A1 (en) * 2017-12-22 2019-06-27 Lumileds Llc Ceramic phosphor with lateral light barriers

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2023057344A1 (en) 2021-10-04 2023-04-13 Ams-Osram International Gmbh Blue photon coupling improvement in layer-structured ceramic converter

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE112020002257T5 (en) 2022-01-20
US20200357959A1 (en) 2020-11-12
WO2020225250A1 (en) 2020-11-12

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US10873009B2 (en) Barrier layer functioned novel-structure ceramic converter materials and light emitting devices
US8506130B2 (en) Optical element for a light emitting device and a method of manufacturing thereof
RU2455731C2 (en) Illumination system having monolithic ceramic luminescence converter
TWI491061B (en) Electroluminescence device
JP5049336B2 (en) Electroluminescent device
US8410507B2 (en) Thermal light source having a high color rendering quality
US20120068213A1 (en) Light emissive ceramic laminate and method of making same
US20120001214A1 (en) Phosphor ceramic and light-emitting device
KR102243598B1 (en) Optical wavelength conversion member and light emitting device
JP6233978B2 (en) Wavelength conversion fired body
JP5928476B2 (en) LIGHT EMITTING ELEMENT, MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF, AND LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE
JP2008537002A (en) Lighting system consisting of a ceramic luminescence converter that emits red light
US11316078B2 (en) Optical wavelength converter and composite optical device
KR102044140B1 (en) Wavelength converting member and light emitting device
US11292963B2 (en) Wavelength converting member and method for producing the same
JP2011012215A (en) Ceramic composite
CN110720060A (en) Wavelength converter, method for producing same, and light-emitting device using wavelength converter
US11069841B2 (en) Multilayer ceramic converter with stratified scattering
KR20180083380A (en) Wavelength converting member and light emitting device
JP7147138B2 (en) Light-emitting device, lighting device, image display device, and vehicle indicator light
WO2023167306A1 (en) Composite ceramic, phosphor element, laser lighting device, and method for producing composite ceramic
US20220376146A1 (en) Wavelength conversion member, light-emitting element, and light-emitting device
WO2020262311A1 (en) Phosphor plate, and light-emitting device using same
WO2014010211A1 (en) Light emitting module

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FEPP Fee payment procedure

Free format text: ENTITY STATUS SET TO UNDISCOUNTED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: BIG.); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY

AS Assignment

Owner name: OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS GMBH, GERMANY

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:DREEBEN, THOMAS;YU, ZHENGBO;LENEF, ALAN;REEL/FRAME:049343/0819

Effective date: 20190516

STPP Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general

Free format text: RESPONSE TO NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION ENTERED AND FORWARDED TO EXAMINER

STPP Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general

Free format text: NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE MAILED -- APPLICATION RECEIVED IN OFFICE OF PUBLICATIONS

STPP Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general

Free format text: PUBLICATIONS -- ISSUE FEE PAYMENT RECEIVED

STPP Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general

Free format text: PUBLICATIONS -- ISSUE FEE PAYMENT VERIFIED

STCF Information on status: patent grant

Free format text: PATENTED CASE